Italian decadence is exemplified one way in Chicago: Tony Mantuano's paradise, Spiaggia. Rotating seasonally, the current theme is Perigord black truffles and goes for $195.

Alinea is the template for decadent ticket-only tasting experiences. For $210, Grant Achatz's tasting menu goes from steelhead roe to woolly pig, from squab to balloon.

At Next, three tasting menus are released a year to season-ticket holders, it's the perfect place for a whale to indulge. This year's third menu is Bocuse D'Or, the Olympics of tasting menus, and costs $195.

A french-inclined whale is very happy at Les Nomades. For $130, indulge in five spectacular courses, plats premiers of escargots and lobster until fromages and desserts.

The tasting menu at L20 is one of the most glamourous in the city, as the two Michelin stars will attest. $210 buys a parade of 13 mind-boggling courses fit for a whale.

Curtis Duffy's Grace is the hottest of the hot, with no end in sight. High-rollers can taste an ever-changing eight-to-twelve course menu of the multiple award-winning chef's dishes for $185.